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L b e e h s c e nu h s 2 Y T R E un` 0 D du. rmw d O M 0 m BRUIT DRIBR.

No. 277,013." Y Patented May 8,1883.

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(N5 Model.) 'z sheets-'sneen 2. W. C. DOHERTY FRUIT DRIER. 4

y Patented May 8,18'8'3.

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WITNESSES v UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

FRUIT-omen.

SPECIFICATION forr'ning part of Letters Patent` No. f277,013, dated May 8, 1883. i Application filed January 31,1883. (No model.) y

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. DOHERTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have inventeda new and useful Fruit-Drier, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto theaccompanyingdrawings.

. This invention-relates yto driers for fruits ot' all kinds, vegetables, hops, and the like and it consists in certain improvements in the cou struction of the same, which will be hereinafter fully described,and particularly pointedout in the claims. V

In the drawings hereto anneXed,Figure l is a perspective viewof my improved fruitdrier. Fig.2 is a vertical sectionalview taken i longitudinally through the furnace. AFi g. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line .r in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view onthe line I/yin Figs. 2 and. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line z zin Figs. 2 and 3. Fig.' 6 is a detail view, in perspective, of one of the catches for supporting the drying-trays and the adjacent parts of the casing5and Fig. 7 is a vertical "sectional view of the same.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A designates a suitablyconstructed furnace, surrounded vby a chamber, B, which'forms the lower part of the structure of my improved fruitdrier.` The lower end of the casing, which forms the chamber, is bulged outwardly at both sides, as at C C, so as to accommodate a pair of revolving fans, l) D, the shafts of which,E E, aremounted in the ends of the casing; The said shafts are v i provided at their rear ends with pulleys F F, `4 0 tio'n communicated to one ofthe shafts by connected by a belt or band, Gr, so that in olneans of the pinion H and gear-wheel I, by

hand or any suitable power, shall be trans'-V mitted to the other. The bulging sides C of the casing havehinged doors J to regulate the supply ofair. C

The smoke-pipe K, which leads from the furnace A, has branches Il L coiled through the chamber B and extending through the rearv end of the latter, at which point the elbows M arev provided with removable caps or` lids N,

which may be removed in order toremove the the contents of the drier.

` soot from the pipes. Outside the chamber B the branch pipes again converge in the chimney O. By this construction the airsupplied into thechamber B by the revolving fans is thoroughly heated before it ascends into the drier. I v

The lower part of the drier structure, comprising the parts which have just been described, may be constructed of brick, metal, or

other lire-proof material, in any suitable manner. Upon this lower part is set the casing P, which, with the exception ot the corner-posts Q, is to be constructed of Iiiatched lumber, in any suitable manner, so that it will retain the heat. This casing has a flat top plate, It, made of galvanized iron orother suitable sheet metal, which will serve to throw the heat back upon Said top plate has a number of upwardly-projecting pipes, S S,

converging 4into a single pipe, T, having a capor cowl, U, and provided with a damper, V.

Through these pipes the heat and moisture 'Y will escape evenly from all parts of the driermuch moreso than when only a single exitpipe is provided. p

Doors W W, through which the dryingtrays may be inserted into and removed from ,the drier, are provided at or near the upper and lower endsof the casingl?. The sides of the casing are provided, just below the lower` door W, with cleats X X, to receive the lowermost tray when u. slid into or removed from the drier, as will be presently described'. Just below the cleats X are two transverse shafts, Y Y, having arms Z Z, which project in opposite directions, as shown. 4 One ot' theshafts isprovided at its outer end with an arm or lever, A2, by means ot' which it may be. manipulated,and both ot' said shafts havehalf-gears,

B2 B2, engaging each other, so that when one"` of the shafts is operated by means of the arm or lever A2 the other one shalll be simultaneously revolved in the ppposite direction, and

in such a manner as to throw the arms Z Z upwardly to the position shownin dotted lines in Fig, 2 of the drawings.

G2 G2 are catches, pivoted to pinsor studs D2 upon the sides of the casing a short dis-l` calice above the cleats X. The said catches consist of flat plates, the upper ends of which are bent outwardly, as at E2, andthe lower ends of which are loaded with weights F2,

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ends of the catches, are secured flat springs Gr2 G2, which,vby means of screws I-I2`in the sides of the casing, may be made to force the lower ends of the catches outward from contact with e said sides, thus throwing the upper ends of the catches back against the sides. Normally,

however, the catches occupy the first position, with their upper ends out from the sides and the springs G2 out of action. When they are in this position' the drying-trays are to be inserted through the lower and removed through the upper door. When they are in the reverse position the trays may be inserted through the upper'and removed at the lower door.

The operation will be readily understood. Vhen the catches are in the first position the trays are slid in'upon the cleats X and the shafts Y operated, the arms Z'ot whichwill lift the tray until it passes the catches C2. When the arms Z are lowered the tray is left supported upon said catches. By repeating the operation the first tray is raised by and supported upon the secontone, and so on until a stack of trays is formed, when the upper. most one may be removed through the -npper door. When the catches are in the reverse position, or rather when the springs Gr2 are thrown into action, the trays may be inserted through the upper door. When the shafts Y are manipulated they will lift the stack of trays oft' the catches, the upper ends of which are then thrown back by the action of .the springs, ythus admitting ot' the passage ot the 'lowermost tray, which, in passing, throws the catches back to their original position, intercepting the tray next to the bottom one, and allowing only the bottom one to pass down upon the cleats, from whence it may be readily removed through the lower door.

I claim as my invention and desire to se-V cure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a fruit-drier, the furnace A and casing B, having bulging portions or chambers C adjoining the sides of the furnace, in combination with the shafts E, journaled in the ends of the casing, and carrying fans D, arranged to revolve within the chambers C, as set forth.

2. In a fruit-drier, the combination of the furnace A, the casing B, having bulging portions or chambers C adjoining the sidesof the furnace, the fans D,.arranged to revolve in the chambers C, the smoke-pipeK,havin gbranches L coiled in the chamber 'B above the furnace,

and the drier-casing resting upon the casing B, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the drier-case, the pvoted catches, having outwardly-bent upper ends and loaded lower ends, the springs adapted t0 bear against the lower'ends of said catches, and the set-screws for throwing said springs into action, as set forth.

4. In a-fruit-drier, the combinationof the drier-case having doors near lits upper and lower ends, the cleats below the `lower door,.

WILLIAM C. DOHERTY.

Witnesses:

P. J. HorPER, H. J. GOETHE. 

